Crimson Tears
by xfluffygigix
Summary: She was a criminal. Nothing more and nothing less
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters.

Prologue

"Oh…this is not good. How in the world did they manage to slip this under our noses?" Koenma mumbled, head in his hands as he stared down at the invitation in from of him. "This won't be anywhere near long enough for us to be ready."

"What are we going to do Koenma sir?" George asked peering over his shoulder. "We haven't seen Hiei or Kurama in months. Yusuke's getting ready for his wedding soon too isn't he?"

"It'll have to wait. I don't have anyone else I can trust with this. If those lands fall into the wrong hands, I'm afraid we'll be looking at a war between demon and spirit world. Yusuke and the others are the only ones that can compete with the demons this tournament is sure to draw in."

"But sir, it says a team must consist of five members. With Genkai no longer with us, that'll leave us short two members. Who are you going to get to fill those spots?"

Koenma leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, humming as he ran through the list of fighters he knew. "Kuwabara will probably be interested. After all, the person they plan on using against Hiei is Yukina. In a way, they're using her against him too. That just leaves one spot."

"What about one of the demons Yusuke beat at the Dark Tournament?"

"That won't do. I'm sure they'll already be fighting anyways." Koenma sighed. "I'm not sure I know of anyone A class or stronger. Unless Hiei or Kurama have a friend they can-wait a minute! That's it!"

"What's it sir?" George asked. Koenma dug through his desk until he found a small silver key on a keychain marked #13. George's eyes widened. "Sir! You can't be serious! That's a prison key! You know your father doesn't allow you down there. What if something were to happen?"

"I don't have time to wait for my father to return." Koenma replied hopping down from his chair and running over to his tall mirror. With a loud POP, elder Koenma appeared. "Summon Botan immediately. Tell her to gather the others at Genkai's temple. I'll bring the fifth member of their team and meet the tonight at eight."

"Yes sir!"

OOO

A dark chuckle echoed through the wide hallways as the figure read over the invitation the Prince of Spirit World had brought her. Her almond shaped cobalt eyes read over it a few more times before crumbling it up into a ball and throwing it out of her cell. The guards on either side of the door shifted but neither made a move to correct her behavior. The chains rattled as she stood up. Feet bare against the damp stone floor as she approached the cell door where Koenma stood looking in at her.

"What exactly is it you were hoping for in coming down here?" She snarled. "I've been in this cage for over thirty years. I have no idea who sent out that invitation or even who has control of my territory. If I did I'd send them a gift basket for coming up with such a well thought out plan."

"This isn't something to joke about. Millions of people could be in danger if the portal on those lands falls into a demon's hands. Demon world would have the power to open the gates into human world. Spirit World would have no choice but to step in. It would be a war."

"Why should I care? It's not like I have family left to protect or friends that even care where I'm at. It might be entertaining to watch you all struggle to defend everything you care about."

"I don't think you really mean that. There's still one person you care about and he'll be fighting in that tournament. Would you really sit back and let him give his life without lifting a finger to help?" Koenma replied. The woman growled deep in her throat and stalked back over to her bed. "I'm offering you a chance."

"What can I do? My energy has been sealed, my weapons are gone, my brother is dead, and my home is being used to fuel this tournament. I would be useless in a fight against any of the demons that will no doubt be competing."

"That's where your chance comes in." Koenma held out a small device. "This will allow the holder to remove your shackles and increase or decrease the amount of demon energy you have access to. If you agree to be the fifth fighter on Team Urameshi, I will entrust this device to one of their members. If you help them win this tournament, this device will be destroyed and your record will be cleared. It seems like a pretty sweet deal to me."

"That's all I have to do? Win this tournament and I'm free to go? No trail, no more prison, just free to leave?" She asked eyeing him skeptically. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"No tricks. The choice is yours. Help guarantee a victory and you have your freedom. Lose a match and I can't promise you'll walk away with your life. You know how demon tournaments are."

"…Very well…I'll do it."

OOO

"WHAT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE!?" Yusuke yelled glaring down at the crumpled up paper. "You've got to be freakin kidding me! I thought we were done with this crap until the Makai Tournament!"

"What's up Urameshi?" Kuwabara said sliding the door open. His last class of the day had finished later than usual and it was a two hours trip to Genkai's temple. He had just arrived. "What's that?"

Yusuke said nothing as he handed the paper over to Kurama. Kurama read it to the rest of the group though he had a feeling Hiei already knew most of it from Yusuke's outburst. " _'Team Urameshi is hereby invited to participate in the Tournament of Kotodama. The prize will be the Yami no Kuni. The tournament will begin 2 weeks from the date of delivery and each team much be registered 1 week prior to the start and undergo a physical to guarantee the health of each individual. All teams must have 5 members and each member must be of lower A class strength or higher. Failure to meet these conditions will result in the disqualification of the team. Failure to register or failure to meet all rules will result in the loss of one loved per individual. We hope to see you there.'_ There is no signature on it. Only our names."

"WHAT!" Kuwabara yelled. "We can't let them do this! What about Yukina! And Keiko! They can't protect theirselves!"

"I'm afraid we don't have much of a choice. We have to participate." Kurama replied. "That's not the only thing that concerns me though. How does this person or group know about what lies within the Yami no Kuni? To my knowledge, only a select few people know the truth about those lands. Three of them are dead. That leaves myself, Lord Enma, Lord Koenma, Mukuro, and Yomi."

"What makes this land so important." Hiei growled. "This is nothing more than a way for demons to have an excuse to slaughter each other. They wouldn't waste their time on something like this. I know I wouldn't."

"Hiei kind of has a point. What makes you think it'll be that serious?" Yusuke added.

"To put it simple, it's not the land that matters, it's what is on them that people will seek. It's said that a portal to the Netherworld is settled in the middle. Since the Netherworld was defeated, all the energy that normally would have flowed into it has been storing up inside the portal. If the wrong person won and took control of it, they could unleash that energy. It would certainly mean war between Demon and Spirit world. The living world which separates us would be drawn into the battle. Millions of people would be killed. I'm not even sure if Spirit world would could win the war is that energy was unleashed."

"So we go in, kick ass, and take the prize. No big deal." Kuwabara said. "Wait, who are we gunna take with us? It says we need five members. We only have four."

"At least the idiot knows how to count."

"Shut up shrimp!"

"Ahem!" Koenma cleared his throat. "I already have you a fifth member. That's another thing I'm here to discuss with you all. It's a specialty case. This person will be under control by at least one of you at all time. I would prefer it be in groups of two. The only time she is to be left alone is for a bath. Otherwise I want your eyes on her closely. These lands were home to her family a long time ago. I want to make sure she has nothing to do with this. You'll also be keeping an eye on Yomi and Mukuro to see if they have any involvement."

"She? The last thing we need is another woman slowing us down." Hiei snapped. "Leave it to me and Kurama. We will find a suitable fighter."

"I believe Kurama will be on my side in this." Koenma replied. "Bring her in!"

The doors slid open and four guards stepped in with a woman in the center of them. She stood eye-level with Kurama's chin when he was standing and she had pale skin. Her hair started out black and faded to silver, pulled up in a high ponytail that hung down to her lower back. She wore a knee length dark blue kimono with a light grey obi, black sandals on her feet. The kimono hung off her shoulders and cut down low to reveal an ample chest size and claw shaped scars that ran from the top of her right shoulder to the top of her breast. Almond shaped cobalt eyes squinted and her pointed eyes twitched as the light practically blinded her. She titled her head down and to the side revealing another claw shaped scar on the left side of her jaw.

Kurama's eyes widened as he stared at the women, mouth falling open slightly. "Reimei."

"Kurama." Her full pale blue lips raised in a small smile. "It's been a long time."

OOO

Later that night, Team Urameshi sat around the living area to read over the rules Koenma had given them. Keiko and Shizuru had arrived earlier and were currently watching a movie in the other room with Botan and Yukina. Koenma had returned to Spirit World an hour earlier, promising to meet up with them at the start of the tournament.

"Looks like the first round will be tag team. One of us gets to sit out." Yusuke said stretching out on the couch. "So do we draw straws or what?"

"I saw the new chick sits this round out." Kuwabara replied earning a low growl from Reimei. "I'm just saying we don't know just squat about you and you don't know us. If it's tag teams, we need to be paired with someone we can work well with. Like Hiei and Kurama or me and Urameshi."

"I work extremely well with Kurama. I will not be some extra that has to sit on the sideline while you embarrass us. A human has no place in a demon tournament to begin with." She snarled. "We should just kill him now. It would save us a lot of time and hassle."

"What did you say! My precious Yukina is in danger and I'm not gunna sit back and depend on some demon to protect her! You might not know this but I have a sword and I can kick demon butt just as good as anyone in this room!"

"Having a sword and determination is not enough to get you through a tournament like this. You are both inexperienced and ignorant to think that a human will last more than a minute in the ring with an A or S class demon. Maybe with two hundred more years of experience but by that time you'll be nothing more than more dirt in the ground."

"Listen you little gothic freak! I've fought demons before and I won so shut your mouth and watch! I'll show you know won't last a minute!"

"For once I agree with the oaf. We know nothing about this woman and I won't put my life on the line for a little girl on a field trip from prison." Hiei supplied. "You can pick up the pieces when we get to the singles matches."

Reimei growled deep in her chest but Kurama held up a hand, "I will work with Reimei in the qualifying round. We worked well together in the past and I'm sure nothing has changed much. Isn't that right?"

"Will you be able to keep up in that body?" Reimei asked looking him up and down.

"I can manage. Now," Kurama swiftly changed the subject. "shall we discuss the living arrangement. We're being given two rooms with two bedrooms each."

"The girls get one room and we get the other. Simple as that." Kuwabara replied.

"I think he means Reimei." Yusuke said. "She can't stay with the women and there isn't enough room for her with us."

"I can stay with-". Kuwabara began.

"Yukina can stay with the Ferry. The other women can share the other room." Hiei supplied. Kuwabara grumbled but then fell silent. "I don't share rooms. I'll be outside."

"Then Yusuke and Kuwabara can have a room and I'll share one with Reimei." Kurama suggested.

Yusuke began to laugh, "Damn Kurama. I never took you for the gothic type! Maybe this will do you some good."

"You misunderstand." Kurama began nervously. "She's just a friend. She has to stay with someone that can control her energy levels. I would never put her in such a position that would corrupt her innocents."

"Her what?" Yusuke looked between the two. "How OLD! are you?!"

"Over nine hundred." Reimei replied. "My brother would have killed anyone that so much as tried. Youko was no different. He was like a second older brother. Though I'm sure he regretted that role each time a new demon challenged him or Kuronue for a right to mate me."

"It wasn't easy. Especially with you finding new ways to sneak out all the time. I think you were becoming better than me in that area." Reimei suddenly burst out laughing. Kurama smiled. "I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up with you this time though. My nose isn't as good as it used to be."

"So are you a fox like Kurama?" Kuwabara asked. "Cuz I don't see a tail and you don't have ears on your head like Kurama does."

"No I'm a bat demon." Reimei replied. "My ears are pointy to follow the sound waves. That why the twitch when anything moves. It's basically like feeling the air round me and knowing where someone is based on the way their motion or voice effects the air current. I don't have a tail but I do have wings."

"Where?" Kuwabara said walking around behind her. "I don't see any wings."

"I keep them concealed when I'm not fighting. They take up a lot of room and make unnecessary sounds." Reimei replied.

"So we got three-eyes, fox boy, and now bat girl." Yusuke laughed. "We make one hell of a team that's for sure!"

"Watch your mouth detective." Hiei said from him place at the wall. Reimei had barely paid much attention to him since she arrived but now she couldn't help but stare. He was shorter than her but not by much. His eyes were piercing red and his hair black as midnight. He was fairly attractive but from the way he had spoken to the others, he had a really bad attitude. He glared when he noticed her starring. "What do you want."

"Nothing. Sorry." She mumbled. A light blush coming to her pale cheeks. "So um, how long do you think it'll be before I'm allowed to walk around without Koenma thinking I'm out stealing, killing, or manipulating others for my own gain and power?"

"With the way you said that, it makes it sound like that's the normal for you." Yusuke said with a chuckle. He stopped at the smirk that crossed her face. "Okay what did I miss?"

"Yusuke," Kurama said. "she was a partner of mine. As in criminal. She was the decoy we used on almost every heist. She may look like the average young demon but the truth is, she's very close to myself in age and more experienced in some areas than I am."

"How? I thought you were like the best of the best?" Kuwabara said.

"Idiot. Do you see the way she's dressed?" Hiei grumbled out. Kuwabara nodded. "She's dressed like a used whore to catch a man's attention. Her scent clearly tells otherwise so it's easy for her to control a male demon that lacks any sense. It's a brilliant strategy to use against lowly demons. Maybe we should use it in the beginning of the competition."

Reimei laughed but Kurama looked less than assumed, "That won't be necessary. I'm sure we can get by perfectly fine without it."

"Kurama, we still need to work on our teamwork." Reimei said.

"We'll work on that tomorrow. It's time we turned in got the night." Kurama replied. "I'll show you to your room."

"Alright." Reimei replied. Reimei waved to the others as she followed him out.

He led her down a few hallways before stopping in front of a plain wooden door. He slid it open to reveal a small bed and dresser. The rest of the room was bare except of a small window. She crossed the room and settled on the window seal. It had been a long time since she had been allowed to stare out in the open. She enjoyed the silence but another pain settled on her chest. It made breathing slightly hard. It had been a long time since she was alone. She was use to the guards watching her. When Kurama started to leave, she grabbed his arm.

"Kurama," Her cobalt eyes locked onto him emerald. "please stay. I don't want to be by myself."

"I don't think-"

"Please." Kurama sighed before gathering her up in his arms. He carried her over to the bed and laid her down beside him. His chin rested on the top of her head. She snuggled closer to him as he pulled the covers over them. Her arm wrapped around her waist. "I missed you. So much."

"I missed you as well." Kurama replied. "Why did you agree to help us? I know it's not because of the deal Koenma offered."

"Because I feel like I need to be there, with you." She replied. "I don't care about the rest of the world but I won't allow you to give you're live for Spirit World so freely. You're my partner Kurama. Through hell or high water, I'll be there for you. Regardless of the situation. Because I love you."

"I love you too." Kurama replied. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her half on top of him. "You must promise me you'll be careful. I can't deal with the thought of losing you again."

"I won't leave you Kurama. You're all I have left."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

Reimei circled her fake opponent, crescent blades in each hand. She slashed down with the first one then dodged left, the other blade coming up before leaping into the air and bringing the first down in a wide arc. Her eyes widened when the steal closed with a katana sending sparks up.

"Hiei." She said pulling the blade back across his own. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Your form is wrong. I expected more from a former partner of Kurama's." He replied regarding her coolly. He brought his blade around towards her side, cutting into her flesh before she could pull away. "You're too slow."

Reimei growled and lunged forward, swinging her blades as she began to spin. Hiei brought his sword up, sparks flying as the blades continued to hit his own. His eyes narrowed as he was pushed backwards. She stopped her dance and crouched down, fist tightening to the point of her knuckled turning white. "How's that for slow?"

"Hn." His blade cut forward. A few blades of hair falling to the ground as she ducked. Her fist shot out catching him under the jaw. He disappeared in a blur before he hit the ground. Her ears began to twitch as she searched for him. She was breathing heavily from her three hours of solo training. Hiei seemed to conveniently forget that. She rolled forward as he appeared behind her. "Better."

Reimei settled into a stance that was unfamiliar to him. One blade poised over her head and the other straight out in front of her. Her knees were lightly bent and her eyes closed. Her breathing changed, becoming heavier and faster. She inhaled deep into her chest and then blew, a dark mist emerging from between her lips. It surrounded them making it hard to see. Hiei narrowed his eyes and looked around sharply.

The light sound of footsteps was his only warning of her approach before her blade sliced across her shoulder. He swung his katana around but only met air. Another strike came from behind. His cloak fell to the ground, spilt in half. His head jerked to the side as he tried to find her. A fist collided with his temple sending him backwards.

"Having trouble Hiei?" Her voice seemed to come from all around him. "This is my specialty. Your eyes will do you no good here."

"Shut up." He snarled. He snatched the bandages away from his Jagan. His energy began to rise as he searched through the darkness. "Found you." He turned as his katana shot upwards. The found of metal against flesh filled his ears and he heard the blood splatter against the ground. The darkness began to fade as Reimei fell to her knees. She shot forward. Blades slicing across him stomach. "Not bad. You will meet me here every evening until the tournament begins."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I will drag you out here by the hair of your head and beat you into submission." He replied stalking back inside. Reimei stared after her for several minutes before the corners of her lips lifted in a small smile.

"That was awesome!" Reimei's eyes snapped to the side. Kuwabara and Yusuke were seated under a tree on the other side of the training field. "You sure showed that little shrimp! Think you could teach me some of your sword stuff?"

"You would need to be a demon for my style to do you any good. I'm afraid I would only get you killed in a real fight. I depend on my hearing. If I lost that, I would be at an extreme handicap." Reimei replied.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Kuwabara mumbled to himself. "It was still really cool to watch though! Hiei usually goes off by himself or spars with Kurama. I'm kind of surprised he joined in."

"Well it's not every day you get to fight a pretty chick swinging blades." Yusuke laughed. "Maybe I could join in sometimes? I could use a little practice."

Reimei nodded. "If you'd like."

"Let's go grab some lunch. I'm starving." Yusuke started towards the temple. Reimei attempted to stand and then hissed as the pain from her shoulder began to throb. "Need some help?"

"No. It's okay. I just need to heal a bit first. I'll meet you both inside." As soon as they were gone, Reimei took in the damage done to her body. She had a deep gash in her side and another down her shoulder. She looked around the training ground for anything that would help. Her eyes finally settling on a small ivy that was growing several feet away. "It'll work."

The plucked a few leaves and laid them out on a rock. She used another rock to begin grinding them down until a thick green paste began to form. She took the paste and rubbed it on her wounds, tears coming into her eyes as it began to sting. Once it was applied, she sat back and waited for it to dry. An old trick she had learned from Youko. A thought suddenly crossed her mind and she looked down.

Laughter filled the area as she took in her state of attire, or very soon to be lack of. Her kimono was cut beyond repair and she had nothing to replace it with. She could easily obtain a new wardrobe from town but without money, she would need to steal it. The thought didn't faze her as much as the thought of Kurama thinking poorly of her actions. Years ago he would have laughed and watched her skip about. Now he seemed more reserved and had taken on a new life. It was almost as if he were someone else.

That thought scared her. Kurama was the only person she had left and the thought of him being someone else was not well received. She knew that deep down it was still him but his appearance and personality had definitely changed. He was more of the long lost friend than elder brother he had once been. She wasn't sure she liked that change but at the same time the appreciated it. It allowed her to move about more freely without him keeping a constant eye on her.

Reimei checked the paste one more time, nodding once she was satisfied it wouldn't come off. She placed her blades back at her side and started towards the temple. A slight shift in the wind caused her to stop. She looked around but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Then she smelt it. Copper. She took off at a run, ignoring the spike in energy from the temple as the others noticed her moving away at a rapid speed. She heard a few shouts but didn't stop. As she rounded over a hill, she came to a screeching halt.

Bodies. Many of them. Different types of demons scattered about the area with clean cuts across them. They hadn't been there earlier. She would have smelt them. So would have Hiei. She went to take a step forward but was tackled to the ground. A series of growls and snares tore through the area as she wrestled with the smaller demon above her.

"What did you do?" Hiei growled.

"I didn't do anything!" She shoved him off her. She scrambled back up to her feet and eyes him cautiously. He took in the seen before settling his eyes back on her. "I smelt the blood. I wasn't far away. I thought the person responsible would still be close by and I could catch them."

"And then what?" Hiei snapped. "Your energy is mostly sealed unless one of us says otherwise. You would have been defenseless and in the way. You come to one of us!"

"I don't need your help!" A snap of a twig brought her attention back towards the bodies. She stepped forward but Hiei pushed her back behind him. "Get out of my way!"

"Shut up!"

Hiei shoved her down as a wave of water shot from the forest. Reimei gripped one of her blades and threw it in the direction of the assailant. It clunked into one of the tree. She narrowed her eyes and looked around. Hiei disappeared in a blur to the right. She darted to the left. A shadow darted out from the top of the trees. She followed it for another mile before it stopped at the edge of a river. She pulled her other blade and lunged at the shadow. Her blade tore into a black cloak revealing a tall man underneath.

He had dark skin with a slight blue hue to it. His eyes were so pale they were almost lavender. His hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, dark blue with white streaks in it. He regarded her with little interest. He turned to face her completely. A stream of water rose from the river and surrounded both his hands. He sent the water at her at a rapid speed. It began to swirl until it looked like a drill. It tore into arms as she brought them up to defend herself. The skin tearing almost to the bone.

She hissed out in pain. Her blood mixed with the water turning it a light pink color. Her arms fell to her side like dead weights. Her eyes began to glow black, wings emerging over her kimono. She lifted off the ground and began to flap her wings. The wind began to pick up around her. She tried to take off into the air but the man grabbed the edge of wing pulling her back down. Reimei kicked out sending the demon back. Before she could move forward, a blur shot passed her.

"Hiei!"

The demon smirked as he looked between the two. "I must say this is a surprise. Lord Hiei and the Queen of Thieves. This tournament just got more interesting."

"Who are you?" Hiei said drawing his katana.

"Why did you bring those bodies here?" Reimei added.

"Just scouting the competition. Those demons weren't worthy to compete with my team. From what I've seen today, neither are you. I should just finish you both off now." The demon replied. "My name is Daichi, water master."

"Hiei." Reimei came up beside him. "I can distract him."

"You're injured and in the way. Just stay the hell back." Hiei replied. He charged at the demon, blade shooting forward towards Daichi's chest. The demon grabbed the blade before it made contact. Hiei attempted to twist the blade back but the demon held it in place.

Reimei saw it before Hiei. A water attack like what he had used earlier. She lifted off into the air, wings straight back as she charged towards the demon. Her leg collided with Hiei's side sending him to the ground just as the attack launched. It grinded into her back sending her to the ground. Blood soaked the ground around her as it pooled from her arms and back. The last thing she saw was Hiei removing the bandages from around his arm and black flames.

"Fool." Hiei pulled his arm up, fist clenched as the black flames twisted into a dragon. The demon's eyes widened as he stared into the flames. His lips turned down as it began to creep towards him. All at once, the dragon shot forward, and he summoned a wall of water. "Dragon of the Darkness Flame!"

As soon as the flames died down, Hiei glared as the demon still standing before him. They were both breathing heavy. The demon then smirked, "Maybe I was wrong about you. I'll see you at the tournament. Team Sanada. Remember that name."

Hiei hit his knees as the demon disappeared. The blood roared in his ears as he tried to steady his breathing. He looked at the demoness behind him. She had pushed him out of the way and taken the damage herself. Her chest was barely raising. He forced himself up and over to her. He checked her wounds before gathering her onto his back, disappearing a moment later back to the temple.

OOO

"What happened?" Yusuke said. He was leaning against the window watching Kurama and Yukina work on Reimei. She hadn't regained consciousness yet but Kurama had assured them she would be fine. He hadn't left her side since Hiei had brought her in, blood everywhere. He had immediately taken her into his arms. "Who did this and why?"

"He's part of a team that we'll be fighting. Team Sanada." Hiei replied. "He was a water user."

"How did she end up like this?" Kuwabara said motioning to Reimei laying on the bed. "I mean, she seemed pretty tough to me."

"Her abilities are mostly still locked within her." Kurama supplied as he moved away from the bed. "I'm surprised she was able to take this form at all. It must have taken a lot out of her. Tell me Hiei, how did she obtain such injuries while you yourself seem mostly unharmed."

The blame in his tone was evident. Hiei snorted. "She pushed me out of the way. Don't blame this on me fox. I told her to stay out of the way and she didn't. It's no one's fault but her own that she ended up in this state."

"Please stop talking. My head hurts." Reimei attempted to set up but a pair of soft hands stopped her. She sighed and laid back down. Her eyes glancing at the smaller demoness beside her. Yukina. "What happened?"

"You look like someone tried to make ground meat out of you." Kuwabara shuttered. "You look pretty rough to me. Good thing Hiei was able to get you out of there."

Reimei growled. A light blush of embarrassment tinting her cheeks. "I don't need help. I would have been fine on my owm."

"Riiight." Yusuke drawled out. "Because you look like you did so well."

"Please." Kurama stepped between them. He could sense the anger rising in his friend. "We need to discuss our opponents. They appear to be stronger than what we've faced in the past. For them to survive Hiei's Darkness Flame, we need to consider other methods to win. Did the demon say anything else to either of you?"

"No." Hiei replied. "All I know is he's with Team Sanada. I've never heard of them."

"I know more." All eyes turned to Reimei. "Team Sanada, if I'm thinking of the right team, consists of Daichi of the water, Gama of the wind, Kochin of the earth, Shinda of the lightning, and Yamato of the fire. They're all half siblings. Sons of the great Taisho no Sanada. Each have a mastery of the elements. Their mothers derived of different cultures that results in their exotic appearances. If they're in the tournament, there's no doubt in my mind that they are after the prize. Their father was killed over four thousand years ago. If they got control of the portal, they could use that power to restore him. If that happens, Spirit World will fall."

"What's so great about this Taisho no whatever?" Yusuke asked. Reimei chuckled and shook her head. "What's so funny?"

"Taisho no Sanada is an ancient demon of war. I've only heard storied of the destruction he caused. He conquered lands, killed those that refused to serve under him, took the women into his harem, and burned lands that he found useless to his rise. Many stood up to him but none succeeded until the demon lords combined their strength against him and attacked in the dead of night." Reimei sighed. "Even then, two of the three demon lords perished. We can't let them restore Taisho no Sanada. Even if we have to kill every demon in attendance, he cannot be allowed to raise."

"I was thinking the same. If they truly are the five sons, we will have our work cut out for us." Kurama looked deep in thought.

"We can do some digging once we get to Makai. It shouldn't be too hard to get into the main office where they keep all the files. We can go in at night." Reimei supplied.

Hiei shook his head. "Even with you and Kurama it'll be well guarded.

"So what? We're just supposed to run in with our thumbs up our asses?" Yusuke said with a scowl on his face. "I don't like this. We'll be going in blind."

"When's that ever stopped us before?" Kuwabara stated. A goofy grin broke out across his face. "Just think of it like the Dark Tournament! We didn't know jack squat about any of those guys and we made it out!"

"Idiot." Hiei shook his head.

"Shut up pint-size! I'm just saying it's not like we haven't done this before. Pretty much every fight we've been in is against monsters we had no chance of beating."

"He's got a point." Yusuke added. "Look, all I'm saying is if we can find out something then great. Otherwise we'll just draw straws for who goes out first and make it up from there."

"I'm surprised you're all still alive." Reimei laughed and then hissed as the shaking caused pain to shoot through her body. "We can handle this. If things get to bad, we'll get the hell out of there."

"Says you! You don't have anything to lose!" Kuwabara grumbled. "I'm not putting my sister or Yukina in danger!"

"Who's putting who in danger?" The door slid open to reveal Keiko and Shizuru. "Baby bro, we've been through this before. We'll be okay. You boys just go out there and kick some ass. I'm sure we'll be fine."

"She's right. We'll be okay. Just make sure you all come out okay." Keiko smiled.

Yusuke nodded his head. "You got it. We'll take care of these brothers and take the win. Count on it."

OOO

Later that night, Reimei sat in the window seal and stared out at the sky. Her back had been mostly healed by Yukina, only a shallow wound remained that was covered in ointment and bandages. She drew her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. She had been up for hours, unable to sleep.

 _THUMP._

"Hiei," She called out to the man above her on the roof. "what are you doing out there?" He remained silent so she continued. "Thank you…for earlier I mean. I shouldn't have got involved."

"Next time, listen to me." He replied.

"My brother use to say I was hardheaded. I hardly ever listened to him and got myself into more trouble that way. I couldn't help it though. Makai is about power. If you backed down, someone would walk over you. Especially if you were a woman. No one looked at you as a warrior. They expected you to bow down to them. I've never been one to do that."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Why are you still here if you don't like to listen?"

Hiei huffed from his place on the roof. The woman was becoming more of a nuisance than she was worth. He didn't give a damn about her reasons. He had told her to stay out of the way and she refused. One did not just take someone else's hit without wanting something in return. If she thought she would hold anything over him, she was sorely mistaken.

Reimei stretched her arms and legs out before leaping up to the roof. She settled herself beside Hiei, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye but said nothing so she took that as a sign of this being okay. They sat like that for several moments before Hiei broke the silence.

"How did you end up in prison?"

She laughed. "Of all the things. Well, I guess you could say I got careless. I broke into Spirit World, got past the guards, and thought it would be easy from there. I made it to the mountain range without any problem. It was coming out that was the end of me. I retrieved the fruit from the tree of life, a way for me to become more like my brother I guess you could say, and tried to come back out the same way I had come in. I never would have thought they had a psych on guard. He caught me just before I could come back through the portal and sounded the alarm. Before I knew what was happening, I had been shoved face first into the ground, bleeding heavy, and with shackles on me." She grinned. "How did you get caught?"

"That's none of your business." He growled out.

"Fine. I'll find out sooner or later anyways." She replied. "I'm pretty good at getting information out of people."

"Do whatever you want. I don't care."

"You know; you won't make any friends if you keep acting like that."

"I don't need friends." He grumbled. "Friends are nothing more than a hindrance. They are nothing but restraints on you. Power can only be achieved by worked towards it on your own."

"I suppose you're right. I'm not much of a loner though. I prefer to keep a small circle of people around me. You never know when you'll need help and you'll need friends for that." She replied.

"This conversation is pointless. If you have nothing better to say than leave."

"Very well." She stood up and begin walking back towards the edge of the roof. "Goodnight Hiei."

Hiei sat there for a while after she was gone. He listened to her window close and her crawl into bed, her even breathing coming out shortly after. She had actually drawn him into a conversation. It was obvious she was intelligent but she lacked the motivation and self-esteem to push herself. She was a powerful demoness, the wounds still healing on his body proving that, but she was stagnant. If time allowed, he would love nothing more than to face her in a real fight.


End file.
